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Descriptive Statistics

Brief descriptive coefficients that summarize a given data set, which can be either a representation of the entire population or a sample of a population.

Categoryai

Overview

Descriptive statistics are used to describe the basic features of the data in a study. They provide simple summaries about the sample and the measures. Together with simple graphics analysis, they form the basis of virtually every quantitative analysis of data.

Common Measures

  • Measures of Central Tendency: Mean, Median, and Mode.
  • Measures of Variability (Dispersion): Variance, Standard Deviation, Range, and Interquartile Range.
  • Measures of Frequency: Count, Percent, and Frequency.

Goal

To present quantitative descriptions in a manageable form, helping to simplify large amounts of data in a sensible way.

Related Terms

Statistical AnalysisMeanMedianModeVarianceStandard Deviation